Where they stand

Candidates for Isanti County Commissioner Districts 2,3, and 4, as well as those for Representative District 17A, face off.

In the last of the Isanti County forums, candidates for the three Isanti County Commissioner district, as well as those for Representative District 17A, faced off on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008.
The forum was held at the Anoka-Ramsey Community College – Cambridge Campus. It was moderated by college employee Joy Des Marais.
Attending were Isanti County Commissioner District 2 candidates Larry Southerland and Terry Turnquist; District 3 candidates Alan Duff and Gail Genin; District 4 candidates Kurt Daudt and Jaysen Guthmueller; and Representative District 17A candidates Rob Eastlund (R), Jim Godfrey (D) and Daniel Sweeney (IvoteMN.net).


Commissioner candidates

WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL ISSUES THE COUNTY FACES IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS?
People don't want their taxes to go up, noted District 4 incumbent Kurt Daudt. But at the same time, various county expenses are rapidly increasing. The county's healthcare expenses are going up by 15 to 30% a year. The cost of rebuilding roads has increased 60% over the last three years. Added to the challenge is the county's requirement to pay for state-mandated services. Additionally, the county's long-time coordinator is retiring, and the county board has decided to replace him by moving to a county administrator system for better organizational control.
Rising taxes is the number one issue for District 4 candidate Jaysen Guthmueller. Also pressing is the fact that Isanti County exports more laborers than it pulls in. He thinks a solution to this is to focus on economic development. "Public safety will always be my number one priority," Guthmueller added. He also hopes to convince the state to stop requiring counties to do work it doesn't pay for. He doesn't want to cut services, nor does he want to raise taxes. "In tough economic times, we must restrain government's appetite," he said.
Traffic, zoning and public safety are the most important issues facing commissioners, noted Terry Turnquist, District 2 candidate. He also advocates fiscal responsibility. "It is important that we as government leaders hold the line on taxes," said the 12-year Braham mayor. He pushed for a good long-range plan as the key to success.
After serving as sheriff for many years, Southerland continues to focus on public safety. "Residents can expect safe roads and safe neighborhoods," he said. The economy and the effect of foreclosures on the tax base are also issues to focus on. The state should be stopped from passing mandates onto counties, particularly when they are unfunded. "Government revenue is no different than personal income," said Southerland. "In tough times, we must restrain government's appetite for tax dollars."
High taxes, excessive government spending, high crime, drug use, economic job creation, safe drinking water, and transportation options are among the top 10 issues facing Isanti County, according to District 3 candidate Allan Duff. He pointed out that while he served on the Isanti City Council 300 new jobs were brought into the community. Other issues include the impact on housing due to foreclosed properties and the preservation of the rural character. His goals are: 1) 0 tax levy in 2009-2010 budget, 2) Set up a long-term financial plan by 2010, 3) Create a county newsletter, host regular meetings with county residents, and make meetings available on county web site.
The economic situation has impacted the county, according to Gail Genin. Taxes are always one of the biggest issues facing residents. Along with that is the "over valuation" of property. She will push for valuations being more equal to what the current market value is. There is always a trade-off between services and the cost of offering them, she noted. She vowed to make economic development a priority and work with the county's economic development authority, as well as the three cities, to attract good, high-paying jobs to the area. Another pressing need is transportation, she said.
HOW CAN THE COUNTY EFFECTIVELY MANAGE COUNTY LEVY DOLLARS?
Turnquist advocated meeting with department heads and going over the budget line by line to look for expenses that can be cut. "You cannot spend money you don't have," he said.
Southerland pointed out that a unified county board has kept the levy increases to 2% a year, which places the county at 17 out of 87. "Seventy counties charge more in taxes," he stressed.
Genin would spend time in each department getting to know the ins and outs before making any decisions. She promised, "I'd spend each dollar as though it were coming from my pocket."
Duff noted that there is a difference between state-mandated expenses and discretionary funding. He pushed for the creation of a long-term financial plan, as well as a finance committee to serve as a financial watchdog. He also advocated for transparency at the county board level through taped meetings and an e-newsletter.
The proper way to balance a budget is to actively manage it throughout the year, noted Guthmueller. He pointed out that on his web site he has a list of 53 cost-saving ideas. Among those are saving on energy costs. "A dollar wasted is a dollar we can't spend on services or programs," he said. He also wants to restore the county's reserve fund.
"The county board has been incredibly creative in its budgets," according to Daudt. "In the four years that I've been on the board, the tax rate has gone down every year." He promised to continue to look at every dollar that is spent.
WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON SELLING DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AS PROPOSED IN THE NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?
Duff supports development where infrastructure is in place. He pointed out the state demographer predicted that 1 million people will be added to the Twin Cities area. "Growth is going to happen. We need to make it a positive experience," he said. He also stressed that development costs be paid for by the developer.
Genin served on the group that helped form the new comprehensive plan. She pointed out the county already has the option of transferring development rights (TDR). It is currently allowed under single ownership when the land is contiguous. The new rules would allow multiple owners to get involved and land that is not contiguous. Private landowners would set a fair market value, she pointed out. The county would not be involved in this part. She continues to support the new regulations.
The issues around TDRs is what has stalled the approval of the comprehensive plan, noted Daudt. He supports a modified version that would allow the transfer of rights on land owned by the same person. This would alleviate the concerns he's heard from township boards, he said.
Given the large number of platted lots currently available in the county, Guthmueller doesn't feel now is a good time to increase residential development options.
Southerland doesn't support the transfer of rights at this point.
Turnquist questions whether the county's zoning staff can handle keeping track of TDRs. The concept of encouraging growth in high density areas makes sense to him, however.
WHAT FUNDING SOURCES WOULD YOU CONSIDER FOR PARKS AND ROADS?
"I'm a firm believer that development should pay for itself," said Guthmueller. After observing how may developers in Isanti walked away, he advocates a two-year waiting period before the county would take responsibility for new developments. He also supports using state and federal funds when available.
Daudt pointed out that the way the county has funded parks through development fees has been successful. Roads and bridges are another matter, however, especially considering the 60% increase in costs over the past few years. The gas tax increase will provide the county with a small amount of additional funds. Bonding would be a short-term solution. The long-term solution is supporting economic development that will increase the tax base, he said.
Turnquist noted that roads and bridges can be bonded for and the payments spaced out over time. Parks can be paid for through fees that are set aside. If needed, the county also has the authority to issue special levies for certain expenses.
Southerland advocates looking at all sources of funding, including grants, fees and volunteer help for parks. As part of the Trunk Highway 65 Task Force, he is working to solicit federal grants to pay for improvements at Highways 65 and 107.
Genin is open to all types of funding options. She would like to see volunteer groups organized to help with parks.
When needed, Duff supports increasing taxes to pay for specific projects, such as the water treatment facility in Isanti which will benefit the health, safety and welfare of citizens. He would approach each project by asking, "What do we actually need to get the job done and how can we do it with limited resources?"

Representative candidates

The three men vying for the position of Minnesota Representative for District 17A answered a variety of questions ranging from their priorities to how they would deal with the state's impending budget deficit.
WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO DEAL WITH MINNESOTA'S BUDGET DEFICIT?
Incumbent Rob Eastlund pointed out that with a deficit this large, the state needs to look at big-ticket items. He pointed out that two years ago when the state had a large surplus a decision was made to increase the Health & Human Services budget by 17%. Aother 14% increase is slated to take effect in 2009. "If we roll back the 14% increase set to go into effect we would not have a deficit in Minnesota," said Eastlund. "We could solve the whole problem with that one budget item."
Sweeney intends to ask the people of Minnesota to vote on every issue, and then will vote that way. He will do this by offering online voting; those without Internet access can phone it in.
Godfrey noted that politicians are not working together to solve the problems. He advocated reinvesting in areas through grants. He would focus on helping the mom-and-pop businesses, reducing property taxes, cutting the red tape and offering affordable healthcare for everyone.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TWO PRIORITIES?
The current economic situation and K-12 funding are what Sweeney would focus on. When he grew up, he noted that his parents weren't asked to approve levies for school districts. There was enough funding to fully support the schools without asking local taxpayers for more. Regarding the economy, Sweeney pressed for a "budget that is fair for the working class." He wants to see lobbyists eliminated for good.
Jobs and education are Godfrey's top two priorities. He supports Isanti's desire to create an industrial rail park, and would seek federal funds to help pay for it. He also advocates prioritizing road needs and keeping those in front of the Minnesota Department of Transportation and federal committees. Having educated students is important to being able to compete in a global workforce, Godfrey pointed out. "We have to make sure they're trained."
Eastlund will focus on funding for K-12 and nursing homes. He pointed to the inequality in the current education funding formula. Schools in Minneapolis get 6% more than CI schools, he noted. The same is true with nursing homes. Those in the Twin Cities area get higher reimbursements than those in Isanti County.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE STATE OF MINNESOTA?
Excessive partisanship is hurting the state, according to Godfrey. An example of this is what occurred with changes made to the Green Acres law in the last few hours of the 2008 legislative session. "We shouldn't be playing games with our budget," he said. Instead Godfrey advocates repealing the changes, and then working towards a solution in a transparent fashion. He also pushes for reforming the tax system. "We're putting a squeeze on the middle class. We need to hold the line," he said.
Pocketbook issues are at the forefront right now, said Eastlund. To combat that, legislators must first look at the price of government and get it under control. "The price of government can't rise when the people that support government can't pay," said Eastlund. Also hurting is the entire economic engine in America. Eastlund pointed out that 70% of jobs in the country are produced by small businesses. These businesses are hurting because of the existing tax structure. "It's no secret why Northwest went to Georgia," he noted. Minnesota must reform its "oppressive" tax structure and then businesses can pull the state through the economic crisis.
Sweeney believes the budget and representation are the top two issues. He charged that the incumbent doesn't represent the middle class the way he would. He pointed to his platform of letting voters decide on the issue and how their want their tax dollars spent as being representation. He urged voters to vote their conscience. "It's time for change," he said.